Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. --- Mark Twain

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Lethem to Georgetown

For a change, instead of the rain forest there is genuine savanna on both sides of the road.
Termite nest.

The road is dusty and bumpy, but it is dry and this is important. And passable with Toyota mini bus - if to look at the oncoming cars. This is the first good sign.

In the meantime, again there is a reminder of the traffic rule - to drive on the left side of the road. In practice –usually- the side of the road of fewer pits is used.

And the big cars on that road make me assume that the bridges are also strong.

When a bigger car has passed it is better to wait, otherwise there's nothing to see what is going on in front. As soon as the dust has fallen on the ground- another big truck comes, and everything repeats itself, and then another one. Minutes later the windows can be opened again, as it is outside over +30 degrees.

When it is dry - the road is ok, but what in the rainy season ?

In some places, the pits are larger than usual.

The next unscheduled stop, the bridge is under repairs here and it takes about half an hour until the bridge is drivable again

Then it was said that the majority of the boards are in place, and no more need to wait here and I was allowed to move on.

Many of the smaller vehicles are equipped with a winch.

And typical trucks. Bedfords.

And then it starts to rain, but not for long, now is still less rainy period. Half an hour later the rain stops.

The road is a little muddy, this kind of places are met all the time, but they all are passable as long as it is not too slippery and the vehicle obeys the wheel.

A barrier and a check-point. Here you have to stop the car and go to the house to register yourself. When all the necessary papers are filled and the car is searched through I can move on.

Reaching the Essequibo river the barge is currently on the other side. So you have to signal them for some times and soon the barge is present.

On the other side of the river one can eat, have a rest and they do not have anything against my plan to overnight there

The overnight place. In the long run the dust is off the bus, but it is for a moment only, because the next day of driving is waiting ahead.

In the morning the journey continues, in this side of the river the forest is denser.

The accident happened a day ago, and the locals said that the driver had fallen asleep. As here the passengers are carried all through the night almost without any stops.

An abandoned excavator almost in the middle of the road.

Mabura. The next police check post, which I almost passed as there was no barrier or something similar. So driving through a village you have to register yourself at the police and present necessary documents.

At least the bigger potholes have been filled.

The road turns wide, the middle part is so bumpy and poor that a new road has been formed on both sides.

Linden is a bigger town already and from here further is the asphalt.

So they are driving here – and sometimes on the roof of the car.

Georgtown.

St. George Cathedral, the construction began in 1889 and the church was opened in 1894, and the building was finally completed in 1899. The cathedral should be the world's tallest wooden building.

City Hall

Copy/paste from Wikipedia: Georgetown City Hall is often described as "the most picturesque structure" and "the most handsome building in Georgetown", as well as "one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the Caribbean". In 1995, the Government of Guyana proposed Georgetown City Hall as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building currently occupies the status of "tentative listing". Link

Anyway, the first impression of the city is very positive.

A few lines about every-day issues. The interior of the bus is covered in thick red dust, including the walls and the ceiling. It takes hours and much water to change the interior a little cleaner. And it proves once again that everything possible (food, clothing, spare parts) should be kept in dust -proof and heavy plastic boxes.